Cabu
A sharp-witted cartoonist whose pen defended free speech, he became a symbol of artistic defiance after his murder in the Charlie Hebdo attack.
1938–2015 (age 77)·French caricaturist·Birthday: January 13·The Silent Generation
Biography
Cabu, born Jean Cabut, wielded his pen as a weapon of satire for over five decades, becoming a fixture of French popular press. His style—deceptively simple, instantly recognizable—punctured the egos of politicians and skewered social conventions with a cheerful irreverence. He found his spiritual home at the anti-establishment newspaper Charlie Hebdo, where his cartoons, often featuring his mustachioed everyman 'le Grand Duduche', championed a fiercely secular and libertarian vision of France. His assassination by Islamist extremists in January 2015 transformed him from a beloved humorist into a martyr for freedom of expression, his death galvanizing millions under the banner 'Je suis Charlie.' Cabu's legacy is etched not just in ink, but in the ongoing, fraught global conversation about the limits and perils of satire.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Cabu was born in 1938, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Cabu Was Born
The biggest hits of 1938
#1 Movie
You Can't Take It with You
Best Picture
You Can't Take It with You
Cabu's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1938Born
Kristallnacht and the escalation toward WWII
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $2,850Min wage: $0.25/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Begin the Beguine" — Artie ShawBest Picture: You Can't Take It with You
1943Started school
Allies invade Sicily; Battle of Stalingrad ends
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,290Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry JamesBest Picture: Casablanca
1951Became a teenager
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1954Could drive
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1956Could vote
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1959Turned 21
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1968Turned 30
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1978Turned 40
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1988Turned 50
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 60
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 70
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2015Died at 77
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
Key Achievements
- Created the enduring French comic character 'le Grand Duduche', a lanky, bespectacled adolescent who became a cultural touchstone.
- Was a foundational cartoonist and shareholder for the satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo, defining its visual and editorial voice for decades.
- His assassination during the 2015 Charlie Hebdo shooting made him a global symbol for the defense of free speech and the press.
- Produced a vast body of published work in major outlets like *Le Canard Enchaîné*, *Paris Match*, and *Le Nouvel Observateur* over a 50-year career.
Did You Know?
He began his career as a cartoonist while completing his mandatory military service in the late 1950s.
His pen name 'Cabu' was reportedly inspired by a character from the French comic strip 'Bécassine'.
Beyond political satire, he also authored popular children's books, including the 'Catherine' series.
A street in his hometown of Châlons-en-Champagne was renamed 'Rue Cabu' in his honor in 2016.
“I am a journalist, I draw, I am not a hero.”
